Bed occupant foot rest



March 16, 1965 M. G. MAPLES BED OCCUPANT FOOT REST Filed May 31, 1962 INVENTOR. fiezwz'rz 6f L%a vZas1 RZERKEERQEKWI United States Patent 3,173,157 BED OCCUPANT FOOT REST Melvin G. Maples, Sherman Oaks, Calif. (6534 And-asol Ave., Van Nuys, Calif.) Filed May 31, 1962, Ser. No. 199,136 3 Claims. (Cl. -327) This invention relates to foot rests for invalids, convalescents and other occupants of beds and relates more particularly to the novel form thereof especially adapted for use in hospitals, sanitariums and the like.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a foot rest for use by the occupant of a bed, which foot rest is capable of being readily adjusted longitudinally of the bed to suit the desire and comfort of the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a foot rest of the foregoing character including means for holding it at a predetermined position, which means forms an unobtrusive part of the bedding beneath the user and which possesses the advantage of being removable for washing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a foot rest for use by the occupant of a bed which foot rest, when not in use, may be folded up into a compact form.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a foot rest in which the foregoing objectives are realized in practice, which is of simple construction, is economical to manufacture, is readily installed and removed, and which is effective for its intended purpose.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with such additional objects and advantages as may subsequently appear, the invention resides in the parts, and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts described, by way of example, in the following specification of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of said specification and in which drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the foot rest of the present invention in a position of use,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the illustrated embodiment of the invention as used, with a portion of the holding component omitted to conserve space,

FIG. 3 is a perspective View similar to FIG. 2 showing the mode of attachment of the holding component to the foot rest component,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the foot rest component as set up for use; a corner of the covering cushion being peeled hack to show details of construction therebeneath and another portion being broken away to disclose still other details,

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged, transverse sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the foot rest component as folded for storage.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a rigid foot rest component 1 and a holding component 2 formed of a length of fabric. The foot rest component 1 comprises three boardlike elongated, rigid members, preferably of identical plan configuration; said members being hinged together in sideby-side relation including outer members 3 and 4 and a center member 5. Said members in their side-by-side relation are adhesively secured to one side of a cushioning cover 6 comprising a sheet of flexible foam plastic or sponge rubber. The adhesive which secures the cover 6 to the members 4 and 5 stops slightly short of the adjacent edges of said members so that the cushioned faces thereof can be positioned in juxtaposed relation as shown in FIG. 6, the hinge means therefor comprising heavy fabric strips 7 secured to the sides of the members 4 and 5 beneath the cover 6 by staples 8; the bights of said 3,173,157 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 hinged strips between the staples being of sufiicient length to permit the said folding of the members 4 and 5 with said hinged strips extending around the fold 9 formed in the cover member 6. The member 3 is similarly secured to the opposite side edge of the member 5 by hinge strips 11 similarly secured to the members by staples 12, the bights of said strips, however, being of less length since the members 3 and 5 (see FIG. 6) are folded to face one another and the resilience of the cover member 6 is sufiicient to allow such folding to occur.

The outer edges of the members 3 and 4 are provided with pairs of tie straps 13, each strap being secured to the member with which it is associated by a pair of staples 14 disposed beneath the cushion 6 and the pairs of straps being disposed at each end and at the midlength of the side edges of the members. In addition to the adhesive, the edges of the cushion or cover 6 are secured to the outer edges of the members 3 and 4 by staples 15 which, incidentally, are coincident with the positions of the ends of the straps 13 beneath the cushion or cover 6.

When the foot rest component 1 is to be used, the members 3 and 4 are swung about their hinge connection toward each other into a triangular form with the cover 6 on the outer face thereof and they are secured in that position by tying the straps of each pair together. Since the members 3, 4 and 5 are of equal width, they thus form an equilateral triangle.

The holding component 2 comprises a length of bed sheet or equivalent fabric preferably of not greater width than the foot rest component and also preferably of a length substantially equal to the length of a bed sheet; the width being preferably somewhat less than the width of a single bed and the side and end edges being suitably finished, as by hems, in the same manner as bed sheets. One end hem of the holding component is provided with the components 16 of a plurality of snap fastener devices disposed thereon in spaced relation. Extending across the fabric at a distance from said components is a corresponding row of the complementary components 17 of the snap fasteners; the distance between the two rows being such as will allow the fastener components to be engaged with the portion of the fabric between the rows of fastener components closely surrounding the foot rest component as best shown in FIG. 3.

For use, the foot rest component is first erected into its triangular form and secured by the straps 13 as shown in FIG. 4. The holding component can then be wrapped around the foot rest component and secured by the snap fasteners 16-17, or .the holding component may be placed lengthwise beneath the occupant of the bed with the snap fastener end of said component disposed at the foot of the bed. The foot rest component 1, if not previously attached, is then secured in the holding component and is then employed to roll up the holding component as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 until it is at a distance which is comfortable for the user. It will be noted that the weight of the user thereon is sufficient to hold the head end of the holding component against slipping and that since the surface of the foot rest component engaged by the user is inclined upwardly toward the foot of the bed, the direc tion of force deriving from the engagement of the foot rest by the foot of the user is such as to prevent unrolling of the foot rest.

When it is not required, the foot rest component can be unrolled toward the foot of the bed as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 or it can be removed from the holding component. A great advantage of the present invention is that the holding component can remain on the bed at all times without discomfort to the occupant while allowing the foot rest component to be quickly positioned on the bed or removed therefrom. Moreover, the holding component can be laundered the same as bed sheets so .3 that it can be readily replaced as would be required by hospital regulations. The foot rest component of the device can be readily folded up as indicated in FIG. 6 for storage when not required.

While in the foregoing specification there has been disclosed a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the invention is not to be deemed to be limited to the precise details of construction thus disclosed by way of example, and it will be understood that the invention includes as well, all such changes and modifications in the parts and in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. A foot restfor use by an occupant of a bed comprising a rigid foot rest component presenting a foot engaging surface extending transversely of-the bed and inclined upwardly and toward the foot of the bed, and a holding component comprising a length of fabric detachably connected to said foot rest component and extending forwardly therefrom beneath the occupant, whereby the weight of the occupant thereon holds said fabric length against slippage in response to foot pressure on said foot rest component; said foot rest comprising three rigid, board-likernembers disposed in side-by-sidc relation with the adjacent edges thereof hingedly interconnected and further including means for releasably connecting the outer edges thereof together with resultant formation of a hollow triangular foot rest adapted to lay on the bed and to present said inclined surface for engagement by the feet of the user.

2. A foot rest component as claimed in claim 1 in which one end of said holding component is adapted to be wrapped around said foot rest component and is provided with detachable fastener means to secure said one end to the body of said holding component while tightly References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,201,157 Dawes Oct. 10, 1916 2,340,666 Johanson Feb. 1, 1944 2,640,205 Simpson June 2, 1953 3,041,637 Emery July 3, 1962 3,046,057 Smetko July 24, 1962 

1. A FOOT REST FOR USE BY AN OCCUPANT OF A BED COMPRISING A RIGID FOOT REST COMPONENT PRESENTING A FOOT ENGAGING SURFACE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE BED AND INCLINED UPWARDLY AND TOWARD THE FOOT OF THE BED, AND A HOLDING COMPONENT COMPRISING A LENGTH OF FABRIC DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO SAID FOOT REST COMPONENT AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY THEREFROM BENEATH THE OCCUPANT, WHEREBY THE WEIGHT OF THE OCCUPANT THEREON HOLDS SAID FABRIC LENGTH AGAINST SLIPPAGE IN RESPONSE TO FOOT PRESSURE ON SAID FOOT REST COMPONENT; SAID FOOT REST COMPRISING THREE RIGID, BOARD-LIKE MEMBERS DIUSPOSED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION WITH THE ADJACENT EDGES THEREOF HINGELY INTERCONNECTED AND FURTHER INCLUDING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING THE OUTER EDGES THEREOF TOGETHER WITH RESULTANT FORMATION OF A HOLLOW TRIANGULAR FOOT REST ADAPTED TO LAY ON THE BED AND TO PRESENT SAID INCLINED SURFACE FOR ENGAGEMENTS BY THE FEET OF THE USER. 